You need three things to enter a Budapest thermal bath: a swimsuit, a pair of flip-flops and a towel. Forget all three and the bath will sell you replacements for 17,400 HUF (~€48) — more than a Széchenyi weekday ticket, which costs 13,200 HUF. Rentals, the traditional fallback, are suspended at Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács, so what you carry through the turnstile is what you have.
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Last verified 24 August 2026. What changed this year: towel and robe rentals are suspended at Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács, and the Gellért Baths are closed until 2028.
What should you wear to Budapest’s thermal baths?
Wear ordinary swimwear: trunks or briefs for men, a one-piece or bikini for women. Add flip-flops for walking around the complex, and a towel or bathrobe for moving between pools. Beyond that there is no dress code – no cover-up is required, and a swim cap is only needed if you swim lengths in the lap pool, not in the thermal pools.
- Swimsuit – trunks or briefs for men, a one-piece or bikini for women.
- Flip-flops – worn around the complex, taken off in the water.
- Towel or bathrobe – bring your own; rentals are suspended at Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács in 2026.
- Swim cap – only if you swim lengths in the lap pool.
- Nothing else is prescribed – no cover-up, no colour or brand rules.
What do you actually need to bring to a Budapest thermal bath?
Five items cover a normal visit. The first three are compulsory. The bag is comfort, and the cap only matters if you swim lengths:
- Swimsuit — required in every pool. Full-coverage swimwear and burkinis are fine.
- Flip-flops or pool sandals — Budapest Spas lists footwear as compulsory throughout the bath complex.
- Towel — no longer available to rent, and not included in any standard ticket.
- A plastic bag for the wet swimsuit on the way home.
- A swim cap, but only if you intend to swim lengths in the lap pool.
That is the whole list. Toiletries are optional but worth packing: Széchenyi’s showers have no soap or shampoo dispensers, and the hairdryers are free to use but come with nothing to put in your hair. A 100 ml travel bottle covers it.
Rentals are suspended. Széchenyi’s official price list carries the line “A KÖLCSÖNZÉS JELENLEG SZÜNETEL” — rentals are currently suspended — and Lukács states in English that “rental services are currently not available.” The towels, robes, caps and slippers on those price lists are for sale, not for hire. Several travel guides still describe a rental desk that no longer operates. Checked 24 August 2026.
If you have not bought your ticket yet, book a skip-the-line Széchenyi entry before you pack — the queue is the one part of the day a better towel will not fix.
What does it cost if you forget?
Everything you leave at the hotel, you buy at full retail price in the bath shop. These are the 2026 prices, identical at Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács:
| Item | Bring your own | Buy it on site (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Swimsuit | Essential — no entry without one | 6,300 HUF (~€17), men’s and women’s |
| Flip-flops | Compulsory across the bath complex | 4,200 HUF (~€12) |
| Towel | Not included in any ticket | 6,900 HUF (~€19) |
| Swim cap | Only for the lap pool | 2,100 HUF (~€6) |
| Bathrobe | Optional, useful in winter | 12,600 HUF (~€35) |
| Plastic bag for wet swimwear | Free at your hotel | Not sold |
Source: the official price lists of Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács Baths, checked 24 August 2026. Euro figures converted at 365 HUF/€, the Hungarian National Bank rate for 19 August 2026, and rounded.
The arithmetic that matters: arriving with only a swimsuit costs you 13,200 HUF (~€36) for a towel, flip-flops and a cap. For a couple, 26,400 HUF (~€72). A Széchenyi weekday ticket is also 13,200 HUF — so forgetting your kit exactly doubles the price of the day. Ticket price from Széchenyi’s official price list, checked 24 August 2026.
Budapest baths adjust prices at the start of the calendar year, so treat these as 2026 figures and check the bath’s own site if you are reading this after January 2027.
Do you need flip-flops at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Yes, and this is the item visitors most often skip. The Budapest Spas bathing guide states that flip-flops must be worn throughout the bath area, and that a visitor who walks barefoot accepts responsibility for any resulting injury. The rule is not enforced at the door, which is why so many people arrive without them.
The practical case is stronger than the rule. Széchenyi’s outdoor terraces are wet stone, the walk between the indoor and outdoor pools runs to a couple of hundred metres, and in winter it is cold underfoot. Any cheap pair works — nobody is inspecting the brand.
Is a swim cap compulsory at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Only in the lap pools, and only where the bath says so. The Budapest Spas bathing guide states that swim caps are compulsory in swimming pools, and Széchenyi narrows it further: the rule applies in pools marked with a pictogram. The thermal pools — the ones most visitors come for — do not require a cap.
The practical upshot: if you are coming to sit in 38°C water and play chess, leave the cap at home. If you want to swim lengths in the cool lap pool, bring one or buy one for 2,100 HUF (~€6, checked August 2026).
Can you still rent a towel at the baths?
No. This is the single most out-of-date piece of advice circulating about Budapest’s baths. Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács have all suspended rentals, and their price lists now carry towels only as retail items. Rental towels and robes still appear inside premium packages such as Széchenyi’s Private Spa and Pálmaház, but not with a standard or fast-track ticket.
A hotel towel is the obvious workaround, though many Budapest hotels charge for a missing one. A cheap microfibre travel towel packs to the size of a paperback and dries fast, which matters if you are visiting two baths in one trip. If you are still choosing a base, our guide to where to stay near the thermal baths covers the hotels within a 15-minute walk of Széchenyi.
Should you bring cash?
No — bring a card. Széchenyi states that the shops and cafés inside the bath accept bank cards and prepaid cards only, and that cash payment is not possible. The wider Budapest Spas guidance says the same. If you were planning to change money specifically for a bath day, you do not need to.
This also means a forgotten card is a bigger problem than a forgotten banknote. Your wristband opens your locker; it does not pay for lunch.
What should you not bring?
Glass, alcohol and anything you would mind losing. Széchenyi allows you to bring food and soft drinks from home in non-glass packaging, but bans alcohol in any quantity or container. Eating and drinking is not permitted in the pools themselves — there are terraces and a garden restaurant for that.
Two more worth leaving behind:
- Jewellery. Rings and chains are the most commonly lost item at any pool, and the baths’ house rules ask you to keep valuables in the locker rather than at the poolside.
- Anything electronic you cannot replace. Lockers are secure, but the poolside is wet, crowded and slippery.
What changes in winter?
The list grows by two items: a bathrobe or a warm layer, and a hat for wet hair. Széchenyi’s outdoor pools stay open all winter at around 38°C, and the walk from the changing room to the water is outdoors and unheated. The contrast is the whole point of a Budapest winter bath, but the thirty seconds on either side of it are genuinely cold.
A robe bought on site costs 12,600 HUF (~€35, checked August 2026), which is a lot for one visit. An oversized hoodie you already own does the same job. Our guide to Budapest’s thermal baths covers which pools stay open in winter and how early it gets dark.
One bath you can cross off the list: the Gellért. The Gellért Baths closed on 30 September 2025 for a full restoration, and Budapest Spas expects them to reopen in 2028. The hotel above the baths is due to reopen as a Mandarin Oriental in 2027. Several packing guides still list the Gellért among the baths to visit. Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács are open and unaffected. Checked 24 August 2026.
Prices change every January. We re-check the Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács price lists each month and email once when they move — plus once whenever we publish a new guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Where should you buy your ticket?
At Széchenyi on a weekend, the ticket queue is the longest part of the day. Book a skip-the-line thermal bath ticket in advance and walk past it. You still need your own towel and flip-flops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a dress code at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Not a formal one. A swimsuit, flip-flops and a towel are what you actually need; everything else is your choice. The only fixed extras are a swim cap if you swim lengths in the lap pool, and no outdoor shoes in the pool areas.
Can you rent a towel at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Not at present. Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács have all suspended rentals, and their own price lists now show towels, robes, swim caps and slippers as items to buy rather than borrow. Rental towels still come with premium packages such as Széchenyi’s Private Spa, but not with a standard ticket. Bring your own, or pay 6,900 HUF (~€19) for one. Checked August 2026.
Do you need flip-flops at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Yes. Budapest Spas lists flip-flops as compulsory throughout the bath complex, pools excepted, and places responsibility for barefoot injuries on the visitor. Nobody checks at the turnstile, which is why so many visitors arrive without them, but the stone terraces are wet year-round and cold in winter. A pair costs 4,200 HUF (~€12) on site. Checked August 2026.
Is a swim cap compulsory at Budapest’s thermal baths?
Only in the lap pools, not the thermal pools. Budapest Spas requires caps in swimming pools, and at Széchenyi the rule applies in pools marked with a pictogram. If you are coming to sit in the warm water rather than swim lengths, you do not need one. A cap costs 2,100 HUF (~€6) on site. Checked August 2026.
Should you bring cash to Budapest’s thermal baths?
No, bring a card instead. Széchenyi states that its shops and cafés accept bank cards and prepaid cards only, and that cash payment is not possible anywhere inside the bath. Your wristband opens your locker but does not pay for anything. Do not change money specially for a bath day. Checked August 2026.
Are the Gellért Baths still open?
No. The Gellért Baths closed on 30 September 2025 for a full restoration, and Budapest Spas expects them to reopen in 2028. The hotel above the baths is due to reopen as a Mandarin Oriental in 2027. Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács are open and unaffected, so plan around those three. Checked August 2026.
What should you not bring to a Budapest thermal bath?
Glass containers, alcohol and anything valuable. Széchenyi allows food and soft drinks from home in non-glass packaging, but bans alcohol in any quantity or container, and eating in the pools is not permitted. Leave jewellery and irreplaceable electronics in the locker: the poolside is wet, crowded and slippery. Checked August 2026.
Pack the swimsuit, the flip-flops and the towel, and the rest of the day takes care of itself. Before you go, read our guide to thermal bath etiquette in Budapest. The showering, the wristband and the dress code are the three rules people get wrong on arrival. If you are still choosing where to go, start with the best thermal baths in Budapest or the rest of our trip planning guides.